Mechanical racing course



` July 24, E923 11,462,56@ G. LANGLUM ET AL.

MECHANICAL 'RACING COURSE Filed Nov. 29, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 24, E923- 11,462.56@ G. LANGLUM ET AL MECHANICAL RACING COURSE Filed Nov. 2, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Arm/VHS i Jul); 24, l923" lg@ v G. LANGLUM ET Al.

MECHANICAL RACING COURSE Filed Nov. 29, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 24, 'l923 UNTE STATES PATENT @lilil GEORGE LANGLUM AND EDW'ARID J. YBARZABAL, 0F NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

I/[ECHA'NICAL RACING COURSE.

Application led November 29, 1922.

To all whom t may cof/wem:

Be it known that we, GEORGE LANGLUM and EDWARD J. YBARZABAL, citizens or" the `United States and residents of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Racing Courses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amuseinentdevices especially adapted for use as a source of amusement to young and old.

Briefly stated an important object of this invention'is to provide an amusement device wherein a plurality of continuous rows of mechanical horses are caused to travel in a given course to represent a horse race and thereby provide amusement to the onlookers and riders.

A further object is to provide novel means whereby ythe mechanical horses or figures are supported for movement in the prescribed course so that tipping over of the figures is prevented.

A further object is to provide a horse racing amusement apparatus which is of highly simplified construction, durable in use and cheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantage of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved amusement apparatus.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

F-'gure 3 is a side elevation of one of the horse supporting trailers or characters embodied in the invention.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 4 4 of 'Figure 8.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a side elevation illustrating the operating truck and one of the carriages connected thereto, the operating truck and the carriage being in operative position on the tracks on which they operate.

Figure 7 is an end elevation of the power truck.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the power truck.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose Serial No. 604,026

of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5l designates a track having upstanding sides 6 which support the track or board in a raised position and within view of the spectators. Of course in carrying out the invention, the track or board, the figures movable on the track and the other parts of the invention may be of any desired size.

Attention is invited to Figures 6, 7 and 8 which illustrate a truck 8 having axles 9 provided with wheels 10 mounted upon a pair of rails 11. Figure 8 plainly illustrates that an electric motor 14 is connected to the truck 8 and is connected to one of the axles 9 through the medium of a train of gears 16. The electric motor 14 has connection with trolley wires 17 through the mediimi of trolley wheels 18 and arms or poles 19 pivoted to the truck 8 and acting as a supporting means for the wheel. Of course any suitable means such as those now employed may be utilized to electrically connect the poles 19 to the electric motor so that the current is conducted from the wires 17 to the motor for energizing the same.

In carrying out the invention each truck 8 is provided with a vertical standard 2O having a cross member 21, the terminal portions of which are forked as indicated at 22 and connected to the truck. One of the ligures or horses is pivoted to the upper end of the standard 20 and the forward portion of the figure is pivoted to a pitman rod 24, the lower portion of which is connected to an extension 25 mounted upon the forward axle of the t'ruck. It is thus seen that the figure or horse is pivoted to the apertured upper end portion of the standard 2() and that the forward portion has pivotal connection with the rod 24 so that when the truck is traveling along the tracks 11 the figure will be caused to rock or gallop.

Each truck 8 pulls a series of carriages 30 constructed in the manner illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5 wherein it shows that the carriages consist of channel beams 31 between which a supporting wheel 32 is arranged.

Each carriage 30 is provided with two wheels mounted upon a third rail 33 arranged between the parallel rails 11 and to hold carriage in position we have provided diverging arms 35 having their terminal portions bifurcated to provide bearing members 36 between which rollers 37 are mounted. The track 5 is provided with depending guide members 40 with which the rollers 37- cont-act and it will be seen that the carriages cannot tilt as the result of centrifugal force.

Each carriage is provided with a` rigid standard 42 having its lower portion forked to provide attaching arms 43 connected to the upperside of the channel beam 3l and it will be observed that the standards 42 have braces 44 which are Vconnected to the brackets or arms 35 of the rollers 37. The upper portions of the standards 42 are formed with bearings 45 which rotatably receive pivot pins oi the several figures 46 whereby the figures or horses are rotatably connected to the standards. That is to say the intermediate portions of the figures are connected to the upper portion of the standards vand the forward portions of the figures have pivotal connection with rods 48 joined at their lower ends to cranks 49 of the axles of the carriages. Figure 5 plainly illus* trates that the` lower portion of the rod 48 is forked to provide arms 50 which straddle the I-beam and have pivotal connection with the cranks 49 as indicated at 52. It is thus seen that as the carriage moves the igures connected thereto will be caused to rock or gallop in the manner of a horse.

In operation the electric motors are separately energized and the point of control may be within the tower 53, corresponding to the judges stand.

Ot' course in carrying out the invention the track is provided with slots 56 to receive the standards and the operating rods.

In use the riders of course mount the various mechanical vhorses and when they several electric motors are energized the continuous rows of mechanical horses will move. Ot course the speed ot' the continuous rows of mechanical horses may be varied by varying the supply oi' current. The particular means for holding the carriages and iigures in position prevents the riders trom being thrown from the horses. An amusement apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention is extremely safe in use and may be made a source of profit to the operator and a source o amusement to the riders as well as onlookers. y

iVith reference to the foregoing description taken in connection with the`accompanying drawings, it will be seen that an amusementapparatus constructed in accordance with this invention may be made of any desired size and may be employed as a source of amusement for young and old. Furthermore, by reason oit the construction employed the apparatus `may be manufactured at an extremely low cost.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is l. A carriage for use on mechanical race tracks comprising a pair of channel beams, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted at the end portions of the beams,.and adapted to be mounted upon a single track, a standard having diverging attaching arms secured to said channel beams, a pair of brackets secured to said channel beams and having` rollers adapted to engage guide members whereby to hold the carriage in vertical position, and means whereby to brace said standard.

2. In a mechanical racing course, the com bination of a board having a series of continuous slots, a carriage arranged beneath said slots, and having a pair of wheels, a. singley track upon which said wheels are mounted, a standard connected to said carriage and having means to pivotally support a figure, a crank connected to one of said wheels, a rod connected to said crank and, to the figure mounted on the standard where by to rock the figure, and means whereby to hold the carriage in position.

In a mechanical racing course, the combination of a board having slots, aI carriage arranged beneath the board and having brackets, guiding means carried by said board and holding said brackets and carriage in an upright position, and a standard connected to said carriage and having means to pivotally support a figure, a crank having a rod connected .to the figure, and Wheels supporting the carriage, one of the wheels having connection with said crank whereby to operate the same and rock the figure.

EDWARD J. YBABZABAL. GEORGE LANGLUM. 

